Scripture: John 9:1-2
As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who was blind from birth. Jesus’ disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned so that he was born blind, this man or his parents?”
Thought for the Day: Wow! What a question! This is rooted in the great questions around evil in the world. It is important to understand that the culture, in which Jesus lived, believed in a sort of cosmic karma (not the language that would have been used) in understanding illness, disease or other forms of suffering. When people saw someone who was dealing with a disability or an illness, it was assumed that a direct line could be drawn to a sin in that person’s past (or in the family’s past). This might be a comforting theory until your life proves it otherwise. Maybe something horrible happens, and though you can point to some sinfulness in your life, that sin sure doesn’t appear to be proportional to the level of the suffering. And then you see someone who has taken sin to a whole new level, yet the person’s life appears charmed and wonderful and prosperous. Within scripture itself, there is a wonderful debate happening on this topic. There is not one single idea or opinion on the subject. What we find is the grueling and often painful struggle that people are having in their attempt to make sense of evil and brokenness in the world, especially when those people also claim to believe in a loving and just God.
Prayer: Lord, may I continue to see the beauty of scripture, a beauty that is found in the lives of those who are trying to understand you and life in all its ambiguity. Amen.
Looking at John 9:1-7
